In these tough times, cheap is good, but free is better.

I know what you're thinking.

Nothing's free, and if it is, there's a catch. Well, we've found 12 fantastic freebies with no strings attached.

1. Free prescription drugs at Publix.
Seriously. You can get up to a 14-day supply of 8 really common drugs with a doctor's prescription. Visit http://www.publix.com/wellness/pharmacy/Home.do to see a list of the prescriptions.

2. Free music.
You can download free tracks at sites like Amazon.com and Walmart.com. There's tons of free internet radio stations out there too. Google it. You'll get more than 16,000 hits.

3. Free credit reports.
The law says you get one per year from each of the main three credit bureaus, so take Uncle Sam up on it. Here's a good place to start: www.AnnualCreditReport.com

4. E-mail.
Gone are the days when you had to pay extra for lots of space for pictures, videos, or whatevers clogging your inbox. Yahoo now give you at least two gigabytes of storage.

5. Free college courses.
Ok, so you don't get credit, but schools worldwide, including MIT, are posting course materials on the internet.

6. Free samples.
Walmart.com is great for that. A friend of mine even says she'll never have to buy travel toothpaste or deodorant again, and there's no spamming to put up with.

Give those six a try, and check back. I'll have six more Fantastic Freebies soon!